{"id":38116,"date":"2016-03-16T06:18:20","date_gmt":"2016-03-16T12:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=38116"},"modified":"2016-03-16T06:18:20","modified_gmt":"2016-03-16T12:18:20","slug":"meadowlark-takeoff-and-another-rookie-mistake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/16\/meadowlark-takeoff-and-another-rookie-mistake\/","title":{"rendered":"Meadowlark Takeoff And Another Rookie Mistake"},"content":{"rendered":"

I should practice what I preach more often than I do.<\/p>\n

One of my mantras is to leave plenty of room in the frame in the direction the bird is facing\/looking when\u00a0the goal is take-off shots. If you don’t the danger is clipping body parts or not having enough room in the frame in front of the bird for a\u00a0pleasing composition.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"western<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This Western Meadowlark is from last week on Antelope Island. I wasn’t particularly fond of the setting so my goal was takeoff shots. I’ve deliberately left the image uncropped so you can see how I had framed it just before it lifted off. I left plenty of room above the bird but not enough to the right – the direction it was facing and most likely to take off.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"western<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

So when it lifted off I didn’t clip any body parts but I also didn’t have enough room on the right for a composition I like and I can’t add canvas in that direction because the rabbitbrush at the bottom of the frame would be virtually impossible to clone realistically. With rare exceptions I really don’t like “squarish” compositions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"western<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was lucky to get a second shot without clipping anything but I still don’t have enough room on the right. Even though the bird is slightly past me I quite like this shot because of the trailing feet and the position of the right wing but for me the compositional issues with both images\u00a0are insurmountable.<\/p>\n

I don’t know why I didn’t frame this bird better for takeoff – that’s something I usually do instinctively.<\/p>\n

In bird photography, learning (and remembering what you’ve learned) is a never-ending process.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

Note: I’m camping in southern Utah. So far birds have been scarce and right now at 5 AM the wind is howling and it’s very cold outside the trailer. But the generator has brewed our coffee and we have a better internet connection than usual. Things could be worse…<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I should practice what I preach more often than I do.<\/p>\n

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